I had cataract surgery in one eye a year ago, and it cost about $10,000. I couldn't figure out why it was so expensive. The surgery takes about 15 minutes, I think. I was in and out the hospital in about 3 hours. I have a high-deductible insurance policy, so I ended up paying about $5,000m and the insurance paid the rest. I would like to see a Medicare-for-all system in the US. It is much more efficient than health care for profit. In surveys I have seen, people who live in countries that have socialized health care are far more satisfied with their health care than those who do not.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" <wayback71@...> wrote: > > > The most recent issue of Time Magazine is devoted entirely to one topic > (first time ever an issue is about 1 topic) and one author: Steven Brill on > the cost of health care in the USA. It is truly a fascinating and mind > blowing issue. Brill spent 7 months researching and writing the issue. The > gist is that the pricing of health care here is entirely unregulated, > inconsistent and with markups of 10 and 20 and 50 times the real price of a > service. Medicare has the real data and provides reasonable payment rates, > but otherwise the markups are humongous for the privately insured and > especially for the uninsured. Our 'non-profit" hospitals rake in billions in > profits and their CEO's earn way more than the president of the university > system they represent. The profit margins in these hospitals are terrific. > So just as important as the question about who is to pay for what - is the > question of how much things should cost to begin with. Check out the issue - > it has a wealth of information and I think and hope it is going to create a > stir. Brill wrote that these costs are destroying our economy - along with > other problems, of course. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > This is a sobering article by a physician that should give > > those idiots on FFL who claim that everyone in America has > > health care pause...but will not, because they're idiots. > > > > What do you do when you need an operation to save your life, > > but the only way to pay for it is to go to prison? > > > > http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/02/on-purposely-getting-arrested-to-get-life-saving-surgery/273282/ > > >
